Distance determining system



Oct. 25, 938 w. RUNGE 2,134,535

DISTANCE DETERMINING SYSTEM Filed March 5, 193s INVENToR W/L//ELM ,90A/6E /arvbl/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1938 PATENT ortica DISTANCE SYST VWilhelm Runge, Berlin, Germany,fassignorf to r Telefunken "Gesellschaft frv Drahtlose. Tele- 'graphiem. b. AH.','B`erlin, Germany, a `corporation of- 'Germany Application March 5,' 1936,.5SeralfNonl In GermanyMarch 6, 1935 The present invention relates to Va system for determining the distance of a transmitter vfrom the place of reception.

In determining the distance between a receiver and a transmitter, the lvalue-of.thefield intensity has `been, used. It is observed that the -eld intensity decreases.` with an-increase in distance of the receiverl from the transmitter. The` result of the measurement obtained in this way dey pends to a high degree -uponthe sensitivity of the receiver, and upon the power of the transmitter. The transmission power and eventually the direction of radiation canbe maintained` whose distance is to be determined, .produces at` the same or approximately the same placeof reception at different heights above ground, Aor above sea level.

It was found that generally in oase of very short waves, and also at all horizontally-polarized waves, the field intensity is equal to zero at the ground surface, especially at sea level, while changing in sinusoidal fashion vwith the height. This phenomenon andthe features of my invention may best be explainedupon referenceto the accompanying drawing-in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic showings of the usual paths of radio waves;

Fig. 4 shows an antenna system carried aboard a vessel; rand 40 Fig. 5 showsra field intensity 'curvein -relation to horizontal distances and altitudes.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, a directray ai passes from transmitter S to receiver E and also a ray a2, being horizontally vpolarizedis 4totally .reflected 45 at the ground surface and its phase is Vreversed at reflection. The difference in the 'lengthof theA (Cl. Z50-1) base. direct and reflected radiation, where ris large compared with lai-HL2, may be determined Then the path difference d between the as by the following kequation for a definite point at vthe place of reception:

This result can be easily derived according to the geometric methods 'shown in Figs. 2 and Herein is E the mirror image of a receiverE situated abovethe"reiiectinglsurface.

vectors' marked B represents j the field vintensity of a beam propagatedalong the line ai o'fFigs. 1

The .other vector B' represents 'the field intensity of a 're'ected beam 'that has followed the course of the line a2.

From Vthe path'difference d there results a phase displacement between the eld'intensities ofthetwo vectors, the phase angle a' being `a 'function of the signal wave length A. Due to reection of one ofthe beams, however, the phase angle a'iqr will considered, where In Fig. 3.1it is `seenthat when the vpath difference d=0, or when =0, the resultant A=0, since onejofithe vectors then-opposes the'other due to the reversal of :phase ofthe reflected ray.

It may also be seen from Fig. 3 that measure the distance ina simple manner, at two receiving heights fhz, h2 having the Iratio p, the relationship between the two field intensity values Ai-andrvAz is being measured. Informing the quotient there will be:

It follows from Equation (5) however, that a is a 'functionof with the parameter p, so that for a denite p field intensity proportion.

From the measured proportion between the field intensities and graphic representation of Equation (6), d can be directly determined. From the definitions of a and d previously given, the distance r will be found thus:

Since the detection of modulated signals in the receiver generally follows the square, the proportion between the volumes at the receiver outf put is not proportionate to the field intensities, but proportional to the square .of the field intensities. Instead of using in the calculation the proportion between the field intensities it is thus more convenient to consider the square of the Equation cates that a is also a function of is known. Thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 4,

the quotient of the received volume is thus determined. ThisV quotient together witha plot of K Equation (8)V made forrthe particular value of p used, permits direct reading of the value of a and hence, by Equation (7 ,the value of 1'.

The curve of Fig. is a plot of Equation (8), when assuming that the received volumes vary as the square of the field strengths'. This plot is made up for the particular value p=1.5. The curve is actually made by plotting Equation (5) squared. It should be noted that the ordinates are given in degrees. The value of a read from this chart should, of course, be converted into radians in order to be applicable in Equation (7). The absoissae represent Vthe quotient (q2) ofthe received Volumes. If the measurements indicated, for instance, 2 volts as receiving volume at a receiver situated at a height h2=15 m., and l volt at a receiver whose height h2 is 10 m., and if hereby the transmitter has a height'of h1=l0 m. above the sea level, for instance, then so that according to Fig. 5, 1:30. When the wave length used was i=0.5 m., then the distance r between receiver base point and transmitter base point is:

m. 10 m. 360 3o o.5 m.

vention, means must, of course, be provided (6) inditransmitter,V ordinarily the place of mounting and the relative height above a plane of reference, such as sea level, will have been xedly established. The receiver arrangement will generally be of the portable type, and it is just for this reason that it is desirable to accurately determine the distance from the point of reference (transmitter). At the respective place of reception Whose distance from the transmitter can be altered as desired, either a single receiver arrangement will be set up whose relative height above the reflecting ground or water surface is variable, or several receivers may be mounted at various heights on a mast m, as shown in Fig. 4.

Obviously, the receiver arrangement may be simplified as much as possible as regards its electrical features, thus a single receiver'may be provided and connected to an antenna substantially displaceable in the vertical direction, or it may be connected alternatively to antennas arranged in different heights. The receiver apparatus, especially the demodulator stage will be so constructed that ythe output volume is approximately proportional to the'square of the eld intensity (q), inwhich case the relationship between ratio (q2) of the receiving volume and the value a from which the distance between transmitter and receiver will be obtained, can be calculated in a simple manner and graphically represented.

I claim: Y

1. Radio apparatus for measuring distances comprising an energy transmitter and an energy receiver, aY plurality of energy collectors disposed substantially at different levels above a datum level, connections-between said energy collectors and said receiver, means operable by said receiver for makingV an indication and means operable in dependence Aupon the relative `field intensities surrounding different ones of said energy collectors for translating the values of the energy collected tions. Y

2. Apparatus vas defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the inclusion of means for indicating aV resultant of two field intensities and for translating said resultant into a distance measurement r in' conformity with the equation where h1 and h2 are the respective altitudes of the energy collectors above the Ydatum level, l( is the wave length ofthe energy and a is a function of the ratio between .the .field intensities.

3. Apparatus asv defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the inclusionof means for deriving output energies from said receiver proportional tothe square of the field intensities surrounding the-respective energy collectors.

. WILHELM RUNGE.

into terms of distance indica- 

